SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Description

Essentials about the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in brief

For amateur captains and shipping enthusiasts, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is the first place to go in San Francisco. Established in 1951, the park is located at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf and consists of a historic fleet of ships, a tourist information center, a maritime museum and a scientific library.

The Visitor Center

The visitor center is housed in the park’s 1909 harbor warehouse, located at the corner of Hyde Street and Jefferson Street. Inside, exhibits, including one of the first Fresnel lighthouse lenses and a shipwrecked boat, preserve the colorful and rich heritage of San Francisco’s mariners. The information center also houses a room for film screenings, the Sailor’s Den (part of the park’s maritime library), and a ranger-led information booth.

The Historical Fleet

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park’s historic fleet is located primarily at the Hyde Street Pier. It consists of the following large ships: The Balclutha, a full-rigged vessel built in 1886; the Eureka, a side paddlewheel ferry built in 1890; the Alma, a lighter built in 1891; the C.A. Thayer, a gaff schooner built in 1895; the Hercules, a tug built in 1907; and the Eppleton Hall, a paddle steamer built in 1914. In addition, the park’s fleet includes over one hundred smaller vessels.

The Maritime Museum

A few meters further west lies the Maritime Museum. The building from 1936 was originally a public bathhouse. Its interior walls are imaginatively decorated with colorful paintings. The museum illustrates the technological evolution of shipping from wind-powered to steam-powered ships. The second floor exhibit includes three pictorial walls of San Francisco’s early waterfront, prints with maritime motifs, carvings and whaling harpoons. The third floor gallery is used for traveling exhibitions.